The short answer
To respond to a Booking.com review, log in to the Extranet, open Guest reviews, click Reply under the review, write your response and click Send. You can also reply from the Pulse app, but edits and removals are done on the Extranet. Reply in the guest's language or in English. Booking.com checks each reply before publishing, and reviews with only a score and no comment can't be answered.
- Only reviews with a written comment or title can be answered; score-only reviews have no reply button.
- Replies must be in the same language as the review or in English, or they won't be displayed.
- Every reply is moderated; personal contact details, guest surnames, competitor mentions and "book direct" pitches get rejected.
- Booking.com removes reviews only in narrow cases, such as a guest who never arrived, the wrong property, or blackmail backed by evidence.
How Booking.com guest reviews work
Booking.com only accepts reviews tied to a booking made on its platform. A guest can review if they stayed, and also if they arrived at the property but didn't actually stay. That makes Booking.com reviews harder to fake than open platforms, and it means most negative reviews come from real guests with real complaints. Replying well matters more than trying to get them taken down.
Reviews combine a score with optional written comments. The score feeds your property's review score; the comments are what travelers read when they compare you with the place next door. Your reply sits under those comments, visible to anyone browsing your property page.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where do I reply? | Extranet > Guest reviews, or the Pulse app |
| Where do I edit or remove a reply? | Extranet only (View your response, then Edit or Remove) |
| Which reviews can I answer? | Only those with a title or written comment |
| Language | The review's language or English; other languages aren't displayed |
| Moderated? | Yes, checked against guidelines before it's published |
| Rejected content | Personal contact details, guest surnames, competitor references, requests to book direct |
| Who can review? | Guests who booked on Booking.com and stayed, or arrived but didn't stay |
| Is a bad review guest misconduct? | No; Booking.com says it can't stop guests from leaving reviews |
How to reply to a Booking.com review
Log in to the Extranet
Use your property's Booking.com Extranet login. If you manage several properties, select the right one first.
Open Guest reviews
Under Guest reviews, click Guest reviews. Score-only reviews appear lower down and don't have a reply button.
Click Reply
Under the review you want to answer, click Reply.
Write and send
Type your response in the guest's language or in English, then click Send. Booking.com reviews it before it goes live.
Edit or remove on the Extranet
To change it later, open the review, click View your response, then Edit or Remove, and confirm. This can't be done in Pulse.
The Pulse app is useful for replying on the move, for example a night manager answering a review during a quiet shift. Just remember that fixing a typo afterwards means logging in to the Extranet.
Example replies to Booking.com reviews
Booking.com reviews split comments into what guests liked and what they didn't. Address both halves, keep it in the guest's language, and leave out anything the moderators will reject.
Liked location, disliked cleanliness
Liked: perfect location near the station, friendly reception. Disliked: bathroom wasn't clean when we arrived, hair in the shower.
Thank you for staying with us and for the kind words about our reception team. We're sorry the bathroom wasn't ready to our standard on arrival. That's not acceptable, and our housekeeping lead has added a final bathroom check before every room is released. We hope to welcome you back. Kind regards, Marta, Front Office Manager
Noise and air conditioning
Disliked: AC was very loud and we couldn't sleep. Asked to change rooms but hotel was full.
We're sorry you had such a poor night's sleep. The unit in that room has since been replaced, and we're now checking AC noise in every room weekly. Thank you for raising it with our team during your stay; we wish we'd had another room to offer you that night.
Glowing review
Liked: breakfast was amazing, staff remembered our names, room had a great view of the old town.
Thank you so much! Our breakfast team will be delighted, and we're glad you enjoyed the view of the old town. It was a pleasure having you with us.
Price-related complaint
Disliked: city tax charged at the desk was not clear when booking.
Thank you for your feedback. City tax is set by the local authority and charged on arrival; we understand it can feel like a surprise. We've reviewed how it appears in our property information so it's clearer before booking.
- Liked location, disliked cleanliness: Responds to both halves, uses the guest's first-person experience without repeating graphic detail, and names the new check. No surname, email or phone number, so it clears moderation.
- Noise and air conditioning: Confirms the fix rather than explaining why the hotel was full. Future guests reading it learn the problem is solved.
- Glowing review: Short, echoes the specifics, and doesn't drift into promotion or invitations to book direct, which Booking.com won't publish.
- Price-related complaint: Explains calmly and takes responsibility for clarity, without blaming the guest for missing the information.
For more hotel-specific wording, including replies in a busy season, see our hotel review strategy and price complaint reply examples.
What Booking.com won't publish in a reply
Do
- Reply in the review's language, or English if you can't write it well.
- Sign with a first name and role.
- Thank the guest for the positives before addressing the negatives.
- Describe the specific change you made.
Don't
- Include phone numbers, emails or other personal contact details.
- Use the guest's last name.
- Mention other booking sites or competitors.
- Invite guests to book directly with you next time.
The "book direct" rule catches a lot of owners because it's normal advice on other platforms. On Booking.com, any reply that steers guests away from the platform is likely to be rejected, and you'll need to rewrite it.
When Booking.com will remove a review
Booking.com's removal criteria are narrow. According to its Partner Hub, it can remove a review when the guest canceled and confirmed they never arrived, when you canceled the booking at least 24 hours before check-in, when the guest reviewed the wrong property, or when a guest is using the review to blackmail you (written evidence required). Offensive or illegal content can also be removed. If a guest confirmed their stay, the review stays online.
To ask about a specific review, go to the Extranet, open Inbox, then Booking.com messages, click See contact options and choose Guest Reviews as the topic. Booking.com also points out that a bad review or complaint is not guest misconduct; the misconduct report is for things like damage or rule-breaking during a stay.
Many hotels see a growing share of reviews on Google as well. If you want those answered consistently, Responsly drafts and posts Google review replies for every location; Booking.com replies stay in the Extranet.
Sources
- Booking.com Partner Hub: Responding to guest reviews — Extranet and Pulse steps, editing, language rule, moderation, score-only reviews
- Booking.com Partner Hub: Guest review removal — Who can review, removal criteria, how to contact Booking.com
- Booking.com Partner Hub: Reporting guest misconduct — Bad reviews aren't guest misconduct
- Booking.com: Guest reviews standards — Content moderation standards for reviews